When our original Exchange 2010 install was done it appears it updated and used the old 2003 server in our domain. We have two Windows 2010 Servers now (in addtion to the 2003 which is still running) but they do not have the Exchange schema in their AD. How can I extend it to these two servers?

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When I had our exchange 2010 server installed, part of the process was updating the AD schema. We had one 2003 domain controller, and one 2008 domain controller, but the AD domain was in 2003 mode. While the 2003 servers are domain controllers, you won't be able to raise the functional level of your domain. I suspect what you need to do is a dcpromo of the server 2008 machines, which will make them domain controllers.

I have no 2008 machines. All the same domain. I have a 2003 DC server. I have two 2010 DC. We upgraded from an exchange 5.5 server to 2003, 2007 and then 2010. I think the 2010 DC servers were added about the same time or after. However it turned out the only server with a full AD that includes the Exchange schema is the 2003 server. I would like to get it on my 2010 DC servers. Again, no 2008 servers

I think you are getting confused there is no such thing as a 2010 DC. 2008 is the latest server OS for AD. Unless you mean Windows 2012 which was just released which i would not install just yet unless it was in a test environment or you generally like pain and suffering!

it sounds like those 2010 Exchange server are just member servers and wont have anything to do with AD which rather sounds liek there is no real problem

Problems still is this - Exchange 2010 running on Windows server 2008. I have one 2003 DC and two 2008 DC. AD schema with Exchange is on 2003 DC and not on 2008. How can I extend the Exchange schema onto the 2008 DC servers?

Well you can promote one of the 2008 boxes to be a DC but it is generally advised not to do that. I inherited one like this and it did work fine until I had to mess around with the forest and schema then it started getting messy. I had to remove exchange off of it totally to demote it whcih as you can see can be an issue in the long run.

You need a 2008 Server that does not have Exchange on it. I just built a virtual 2008 DC to solve the problem. If you can do that, it is the path of least resistance. If not then another physical buildout

Bascially you need another server that runs 2008; physical or virtual and make it a DC

Doesn't matter but you do need another one unless you want to go against rule of thumb advice.

I forgot to add just because Exchange is installed on a 2008 box it does not mean it is a domain controller. You must promote it from a member server to a DC to make it a DC. The exchange 2010 install will / should prep the 2003 forest for you but it doesn't make the server a DC by default

2 ea server 2008 that are also DC. I cannot promote the Exchange server to DC. I dont need to promote either 2008 server as they are already DC. I want to find out if I can extend the Exchange schema onto the 2008 DC servers.

I'm a bit confused - when the schema is updated for Exchange 2010, this will be replicated across all DC's, not held on one only. Ideally you should have ran the schema update on the 2008 boxes, but not a must.

How do you know/think the 2008 DC's don't have the exchange 2010 schema?

Is it because the Active Directory users and computers user objects s on the 2008 boxes don't have the exchange tabs any more? If so, that's normal, with 2010 you need to use the exchange management tools for all things exchange.

I'm a bit confused - when the schema is updated for Exchange 2010, this will be replicated across all DC's, not held on one only. Ideally you should have ran the schema update on the 2008 boxes, but not a must.

How do you know/think the 2008 DC's don't have the exchange 2010 schema?

Is it because the Active Directory users and computers user objects s on the 2008 boxes don't have the exchange tabs any more? If so, that's normal, with 2010 you need to use the exchange management tools for all things exchange.

That was what I was saying, basically... Even if they're server 2008 machines, if they're DCs, then they have the same schema as the 2003 server.

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